Imagine for a minute that you are invited to a potluck dinner at church or at a get-together. You know what kinds of dishes people bring to potluck dinners.
Mac and cheese, creamy chicken and rice, baked beans, broccoli casserole, pasta salad, potato salad, etc. Occasionally someone would bring a green salad with lots of add-ons, but often people don’t eat much salad. You know the drill.
Add to that 10 kinds of desserts. Sound familiar?
That’s just what I saw when I walked into a potluck dinner at my church a while back. I, on the other hand, had brought roasted root vegetables, because I knew there would be at least one side dish I could eat. I could see that there were some raw veggies and then there hamburger patties. So I had a decent amount of food to eat.
You see, I was a prediabetic and I have to be very careful about the foods I eat, so as not to raise my blood sugar and insulin levels too much. I reversed my prediabetes, but I did not want to go back into the prediabetic range again.
Most of the dishes I listed above that people normally bring would cause a strong blood sugar and insulin response in my body. Pasta, rice, white potatoes are just a few. So I avoid them.
That night, as I was chatting with the food coordinator about what I had brought and why, she confided in me that she had just been diagnosed as prediabetic by her practitioner and did not know what to do next. She felt a little lost on what to eat and what not to eat.
Ever had this problem?
So, I described to her what kinds of foods that I eat and what might be good choices that night at the potluck. Meat, green salad, veggies, cheese (if she could tolerate dairy), green beans without the onion rings, my roasted root vegetables. Obviously the desserts were out, but I did share with her that I do indulge in a treat of my choice once a week. That way I don’t feel deprived.
I always have the freedom to eat what I want – I just choose to not eat foods that raise my blood sugar too much, too often.
She was very grateful for the help. In fact, after having a consultation with me later, she decided to become my client. I am a prediabetes coach. We worked together on her food choices with accountability, plus her thoughts around having to “give up” some of the sugary foods she loved so much. She was able to bring her blood sugar and hgbA1C (the test that measures the amount of sugar in your body over 2-3 months) numbers down within 6 months.
Her doctor said, “Keep doing what you are doing, it’s working!”
If you are prediabetic or suspect you may be (especially if you have gained weight around your middle – get tested) and need help navigating what to do about reversing that condition, contact me here and we’ll have a free strategy call to talk about your challenges and whether we may be a good fit to work together to turn your prediabetes diagnosis around. You can reverse your prediabetes and avoid becoming a diabetic. Let’s work on it together, shall we?
In life and health,
Jane
Jane Springer is a certified Life, Wellness and Style Coach who assists women in taking care of themselves, in body, mind and spirit. She coaches women who want to lose weight, avoid diabetes, and feel great. She also helps them thrive after divorce. She also helps them to clear their closets of old clothes and outdated attitudes, so they can shine and feel confident.